Irrigation system

ABSTRACT

An irrigation system utilizing a set of irrigation devices joined to risers connected to a common supply line, the supply line terminating in a flush member adapted, when open, to permit flushing of the supply line to remove particulate matter; each irrigation device including a distributor manifold having a set of outlets connected to corresponding distributor tubes of small diameter, and a metering valve, the valve having means for causing turbulent flow to effect pressure reduction prior to entrance of water into the distributor tubes.

United States Patent 11 1 1111 3,912,169

Lodge Oct. 14, 1975 [54] IRRIGATION SYSTEM 3,036,783 5/1962 Hansen", 239547 x 3,199,791 8/1965 Chapin 239/547 x [75] lnvemor hdge, Pala, Cahf'3,719,327 3/1973 McMahan..... 239/542 x 73 Assignee; conflow IrrigationSystems, San 3,736,955 6/1973 Schlesser 239/542 X Diego Calm 3,806,031 I4/1974 Olson 239 207 [22] Filed: 1974 Primary Examin'erJohn J. Love [21]Appl. N0.: 436,526 Attorney, Agenl,'0r Firm-Lyon & Lyon Related US.Application Data [60] Division of Ser. No. 297,959, 06:. 16, 1972, Pat.NO. [5 ABSTRACT 3,810,582, which is a continuation-in-part of Ser. No.

131,225, April 5, 1971, abandoned.

US. Cl. 239/110; 239/207; 239/267 Int. Cl. B05B 1/14 Field of Search239/110, 1 11, 207, 266,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Coles 239/110 4 Claims, 9 DrawingFigures U.S. Patent Oct. 14,1975 3,912,169

IRRIGATION SYSTEM This application is a division of application Ser. No.297,959, filed Oct. 16, 1972, now US. Pat. No. 3,810,582, which is acontinuation-in-part of application Ser. No. 131,225, filed Apr. 5,1971, now abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION A highly desirable goal in irrigationpractice is to eliminate runoff. It has been well known for many yearsthat if the water can be applied at a slow enough rate, better crops areproduced and little or no runoff or erosion occurs. The slower thewatering, the deeper the penetration. This is especially desirable fortrees, shrubs and other plants which remain fixed in place, for as thewater seeps deeper, it also spreads, causing the roots to spreaddownward and outward.

While the goal is well recognized, it is not easily attained. Althoughthe disadvantages are quite apparent, the conventional approach has beenby means of sprinkler's. Some gains have been made to reduce the rate ofdistribution of the water from sprinklers. Porous hoses or soil soakershave been used. A technique known as drip irrigation has developed. Anexample of this approach is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,420,064, wherein anetwork of piping is laid out with a drip device located every few feet.The system may be surface or subsurface located; however, thougheffective, it is extremely expensive to install and maintain. Other dripsystems such as that represented by US. Pat. No. 3,512,525 share thesame problem of expensive installation and maintenance.

As a result, the principal system of irrigation has been by use ofsprinklers, either the moving or fixed type. In the irrigation offixed-root type of crop, such as trees, large sprinklers are used whichextend above the trees, one sprinkler watering a group of trees and thepattern of sprinklers being such that a reasonably uniform distributionof wateris attained, as the water passes downwardly through the treesand drips on the ground. The water falling between the trees is mostlywasted, and operation is dependent on reasonably still air, as windmaterially disturbs distribution. The goal of uniform distribution isnot always desirable, for this presupposes uniform soil conditions, aswell as uniform tree size, and level land as well.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention seeks to overcome theproblems outlined above and is summarized in the following objects:

First, to provide an irrigation system which is particularly suitable,but not limited to, the irrigation of trees and is so arranged that aseries of irrigation devices may be arranged for the supply of water toeach tree, each device being individually adjustable to meet the needsof its corresponding tree, the water being discharged onto the ground insmall streams to eliminate runoff or drift of the water during severewind conditions.

Second, to provide an irrigation system utilizing a novelly arrangedirrigation device in which a single valve controls the water supply to amanifold having a plurality of outlets, thus permitting the use of alarger valve which is less likely to be obstructed by particulatematter, the valve and manifold also arranged to cause turbulent flowwithin the manifold which efiect substantial pressure reduction belowsupply line pressure,

permitting further increase in valve port opening for a given outletflow.

Third, to provide an irrigation device, as indicated in the precedingobject, wherein the manifold outlets are connected to a set of highlyflexible distributor tubes of small diameter which are capable ofconforming to the ground surface or be superficially covered, the tubesbeing of such length that their discharge ends may be located in auniform pattern within the drip line of the tree or other pattern bestsuited to the needs of the tree.

Fourth, to provide an irrigation device, as indicated in the precedingobject, wherein the distributor tubes of small diameter may be tied inknots to reduce or close off flow in selected tubes, or joined togetherby a sleeve to close off a pair of tubes, or joined by a sleeve to atube extension of similar size, or joined to a larger tube to extend therange without significant loss in discharge flow.

Fifth, to provide an irrigation system wherein each supply line servinga plurality of irrigation devices terminates in a removable fittingwhich permits the supply line to be flushed for removal of particulatematter.

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES FIG. 1 is a side view of an irrigation deviceemployed in the irrigation system mounted on a riser shownfragmentarily.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view thereof taken through22 of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a transverse sectional view taken through 3-3 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 is a further enlarged fragmentary sectional view thereof takenwithin circle 4 of FIG. 2.

FIG. 5 is an essentially diagrammatical plan view of the irrigationdevice at a reduced scale with a tree indicated partly in section andpartly by broken lines.

FIG. 6 is another essentially diagrammatical plan view of the irrigationdevice in which various modifications are indicated.

FIGS. 7 and 8 are enlarged fragmentary views thereof taken respectivelywithin circles 7 and 8.

FIG. 9 is an essentially diagrammatical view of the irrigation system.

The irrigation system includes a multiple outlet irrigation device Ahaving a manifold body 1, which is tubular and includes an internallyscrewthreaded lower end 2, which receives a riser 3. Above thescrewthreads 2, the bore of the manifold body is reduced in diameter toform a valve seat 4. The manifold body is also provided with aninternally screwthreaded upper end 5.

The manifold body 1 receives a valve member 6, having a slotted orpolygonal tool receiving outer end 7 and a screwthreaded stem portion 8which fits the internally screwthreaded upper end 5 of the manifoldbody. Below the screwthreaded stem portion 8, the valve member includesa portion of reduced diameter 9 and terminates in a tapered valve head10, which engages the valve seat 4.

It has been found that operation of the valve is materially improved byproviding a toroidal chamber 11 in the manifold body above andsurrounding the valve seat 4. The chamber merges into an upwardlytapered portion 12. The valve head 10 is provided with a curved flangel3, essentially complementary to the toroidal chamber 11, and anupwardly converging portion 14 confronting the tapered portion 12.

Flow through the opening between the valve head and valve seat isdeflected by the flange 13 into a toroidal path by the chamber andcreates a back pressure which reduces flow between the tapered portions12 and 14 for a given supply line pressure. In the portion of themanifold body 1 above the valve seat 4 and surrounding the regionoccupied by the valve portion of reduced diameter 9 is a ring of sideoutlets 15, the inner ends of which are reduced in diameter formingshoulders 16. Each side outlet receives an end of a distributor tube 17,which abuts the shoulder 16 and is secured in place by cement 18.

Each distributor tube 17 is formed of relatively strong and flexibleplastic tubing, such as of vinyl, polyethylene or polyurethane. It isessential that the diameter of the tubing be quite small; tests haveindicated that tubing having a bore of approximately onesixteenth of aninch and an overall diameter of oneeighth of an inch or slightly more issatisfactory.

A suitable filter, not shown, may be provided between the screwthreadedlower end 2 of the manifold body and the valve seat 4.

The irrigation system also includes a supply line 19 from which therisers 3 branch. The supply line termimates in a collector section 20for sediment or particulate matter which preferably curves upwardly atits end and is closed by a cap 21. Particulate matter tends to flowalong the supply line to the collector section as the water diverted toeach riser is small in volume and thus flows upward at reduced velocitywhich causes the particulate matter to remain in the supply line or, ifthe particulate matter enters a riser, it tends to settle and return tothe supply line.

Operation of the irrigation system is as follows:

The irrigation system is preferably so arranged that the riser 3 isprovided under each tree. An irrigation device A is mounted on eachriser and various distributor tubes 17 are spread out under thecorresponding tree so as to locate their discharge ends in a patternsuitable to effect relatively uniform distribution of water issuing fromthe extremities of the distributor tubes as indicated diagrammaticallyin FIG. 5. Some tubes may terminate relatively close to the trunk of thetree and other tubes may be arranged outwardly therefrom, as indicatedin FIG. 5. The distributor tubes, being of small diameter, aresufficiently flexible that they conform to the surface of the groundunder the tree; in fact, may be covered or partially covered by the soilsurface and the usual debris thereon. When the irrigation system isturned on, the valve member 6 of each device is adjusted so that thewater flowing from the ends of the distributor tubes is relatively slowand at low pressure. This is aided by the turbulent action in thechamber 11. Also, each distributor tube provides resistance to waterflow so that the pressure at the end thereof is nominal.

Should the size of the tree or shrub not warrant use of all of thedistributor tubes, one or more may be tied to form a knot, not shown.The knots may be tight so as to close off all flow or may be merelytight enough to restrict flow, thus further reducing the volume of waterissuing from a particular distributor tube.

Because the distributor tubes are quite small in diameter, they areinexpensive so that each tube may be several feet long and thus actuallyform a resistance line and thus effectively reduce the water pressure attheir discharge ends without restrictions that would tend to clog thesystem.

Other modifications of the distribution pattern may be readilyaccomplished. For example, two tubes 17 may be connected by a sleeve 22,thus closing off two tubes as shown in FIG. 6. If an extension indicatedby 23 is needed, it may be joined to a selected tube by a sleeve 22,also as shown in FIG. 6. This will result, because of the addedresistance, in further reduced flow at the discharge end of theextension 23. Such reduced flow may be minimized by use of a tube 24 oflarger diameter, also as indicated in FIG. 6. For example, if the tube17 has a bore of one-sixteenth inch, and an outside diameter ofone-eighth inch, a tube 24 having a bore diameter of one-eighth inch maybe used reducing the flow resistance to one-fourth the resistance in thetube 17.

Due to the fact that one valve controls a plurality of outlets, the flowpassage through the valve is less likely to clog with particulatematter. Also, by reason of the turbulent flow induced by the toroidalchamber 1 1, the valve opening is further increased for a givendischarge flow, further reducing the possibility of clogging. Finally,the provision in each supply line of means for flushing the line furtherinsures trouble free operation.

While particular embodiments of this invention have been shown anddescribed, it is not intended to limit the same to the details of theconstructions set forth, but instead, the invention embraces suchchanges, modifications and equivalents of the various parts and theirrelationships as come within the purview of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An irrigation system, comprising:

a. a supply line;

b. a set of risers disposed in spaced relation along the supply line;

c. a low volume irrigation device joined to the upper end of each riser;

d. a plurality of distributor tubes extending from the outlets;

e. and means disposed downstream from the irrigation devices for openingthe supply line to permit flushing of particulate matter therefrom;

f. each irrigation device including a body member defining a manifoldchamber, a plurality of outlets communicating therewith, and an inletvalve seat, and a valve member controlling flow of water into themanifold chamber at an upward flow rate tending to cause particulatematter to settle into the supply line for transport therein;

g. the valve and body member of each irrigation device defining atoroidal flow resistance chamber between the valve seat and manifoldchamber to reduce the pressure in the manifold chamber and distributortubes. 1 2. An irrigation system as defined in claim 1, wherein:

a. the distributor tubes are of small diameter to create a resistance toflow tending to create a back pressure in the manifold chamber, and areof essentially equal length causing the water to trickle from each tubeat low pressure and at essentially the same volume as the flow from theother tubes.

3. An irrigation system as defined in claim 2,

wherein:

wherein:

a. pairs of distributor tubes are connectable to provide a closed loopthereby to close off discharge therefrom and reduce the total wateroutput from a selected irrigation device.

1. An irrigation system, comprising: a. a supply line; b. a set ofrisers disposed in spaced relation along the supply line; c. a lowvolume irrigation device joined to the upper end of each riser; d. aplurality of distributor tubes extending from the outlets; e. and meansdisposed downstream from the irrigation devices for opening the supplyline to permit flushing of particulate matter therefrom; f. eachirrigation device including a body member defining a manifold chamber, aplurality of outlets communicating therewith, and an inlet valve seat,and a valve member controlling flow of water into the manifold chamberat an upward flow rate tending to cause particulate matter to settleinto the supply line for transport therein; g. the valve and body memberof each irrigation device defining a toroidal flow resistance chamberbetween the valve seat and manifold chamber to reduce the pressure inthe manifold chamber and distributor tubes.
 2. An irrigation system asdefined in claim 1, wherein: a. the distributor tubes are of smalldiameter to create a resistance to flow tending to create a backpressure in the manifold chamber, and are of essentially equal lengthcausing the water to trickle from each tube at low pressure and atessentially the same volume as the flow from the other tubes.
 3. Anirrigation system as defined in claim 2, wherein: a. the extremity ofeach distributor tube is connectable to a tube of larger diameter, toextend the discharge end with minimal increased friction whereby theflow rate in the distributor tube is essentially unchanged.
 4. Anirrigation system as defined in claim 2, wherein: a. pairs ofdistributor tubes are connectable to provide a closed loop thereby toclose off discharge therefrom and reduce the total water output from aselected irrigation device.